1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to systems and methods for dispensing medication and specifically to a method and apparatus for dispensing medication and other liquids in the ear, nose and throat of animals and human beings.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing hearing structures 100 of a canine. The structures 100 include the pinna 102 or outer ear, an opening to the ear canal 104, and the inner ear, which comprises the ear canal 106 and the middle ear cavity 108. The ear canal 106 includes a vertical ear canal 106A and a horizontal ear canal 106B. The vast majority of ear infections in canines begins and ends in the lower portion 110 of the vertical ear canal 106A. The current method for applying liquid medicine into the ear of any domesticated animals has no tool specifically designed to get medicine or cleaner safely into the top of the vertical ear canal. Currently, veterinarians and pet owners must poor or drip a fluid directly from a bottle into the animal's ear.
This method does not allow for a measured delivery of liquid, nor is it practical since, the vast majority of dogs, cats, and other animals will resist any attempt to drop liquid medicine into their ears. This resistance makes it very difficult to get medicine or cleaner into the vertical ear canal. In fact veterinarians report that most pet owners end up getting the medicine onto the pinna 102 of the ear. When the medicine gets only onto the pinna 102 of the ear, the infection in the inner ear will typically continue unabated.
Compounding these difficulties is the fact that the inner ear is not easy to find, especially on dark haired animals. On some animals it is also not possible to get a direct line of sight into the vertical ear canal 106A without assistance. Currently, there is no means of simultaneously lighting the ear and applying a liquid. Since the current method cannot effectively get the medicine or cleaner to the vertical ear canal 104, safely, repeatedly, and without sedation of the animal, into this all-important inner ear, infections can also become worse and more resistant to medications.
Recognizing this fact, many pet owners compensate by positioning the bottle of liquid as close to or, directly up against the animal's ear before dispensing the liquid. However, the animal will typically respond to this treatment by jerking its head around, risking injury to the ear of the animal when the hard surface of the medicine bottle contacts the ear. Such contact with tender surface of the ear of the animal can make the animal even less willing to submit to further treatments.
The present invention also improves upon existing methods for hand feeding. Current feeding syringes are made of hard and rigid materials which can injure the soft tissues of a nursing animal. Existing feeding syringes also do not take into account the variable size and shape of animal mouths, nor do they allow for safe movement of the animal during feeding.
What is needed is a system and method for safely dispensing liquids such as medicines to orifices of animals and human beings. The present invention satisfies that need.